Cheat Sheet

Cerner & NHS scheduling quick reference

Key terms, shortcuts and pathway rules for interview practice.

Training content only. Shortcuts and pathway examples are for practice - local trust policies and system versions may vary.

Glossary

Cerner / EPR terminology

MRNMedical Record Number - the unique hospital identifier for a patient.

NHS numberThe national patient identifier (10 digits) used across the NHS.

EPRElectronic Patient Record - the system holding patient clinical information.

MillenniumCerner's EPR platform; the scheduling module is often called 'Millennium Scheduling'.

ClinicA defined list of appointment slots for a specific service (e.g. US1, DVT).

Clinic codeThe code that identifies which clinic a referral belongs to (e.g. DVT, CTA).

SlotA single bookable appointment time within a clinic.

Overbook / Add-onBooking an extra patient into an already-full slot, usually needing a clinical override reason.

Blocked slotA slot that cannot be booked, usually due to clinician annual leave or clinic closure.

RTTReferral To Treatment - the 18-week NHS pathway clock.

Clock Start (10)The code that begins the RTT clock when a referral is accepted.

Active Monitoring (20)Pauses the RTT clock while the patient is not actively awaiting treatment.

Clock Stop (30/31)Ends the RTT clock on treatment (30) or no treatment (31).

2WWTwo-week wait - the urgent cancer referral pathway (seen within 2 weeks).

Wells scoreA clinical tool used to assess the likelihood of a DVT.

D-dimerA blood test used in DVT assessment.

DNADid Not Attend - when a patient does not turn up for an appointment.

TriageThe process of reviewing and prioritising incoming referrals.

Training reference

Keyboard shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`F2`	Search for a patient
`F5`	Refresh the current view
`Ctrl + N`	New booking
`Ctrl + F`	Find / filter within a list
`Esc`	Close a dialog or drawer
`Tab`	Move to the next field
`Enter`	Confirm the selected action

These are illustrative. The exact shortcuts depend on the trust's Cerner configuration.

Priorities

Referral pathways

2WW (cancer)

Within 2 weeks

Suspected cancer. Highest priority - book first.

Urgent

24-48 hours

e.g. suspected DVT, AAA. Book before routine.

Routine

About 6 weeks

Standard referrals. Lowest priority.

Pathway tracking

RTT codes

Clock Start

Begins the 18-week RTT clock.

Active Monitoring

Pauses the clock while not awaiting treatment.

Clock Stop - treatment

Ends the clock when treatment is completed.

Clock Stop - no treatment

Ends the clock when no treatment is needed.

Watch out for

Common traps in scheduling tests

Double booking

Booking into a full slot without an override reason strands a patient with no scan time.

Booking without a valid referral

Never book a referral whose criteria are not met. Chase the missing information first.

Incorrect clinic code

The referral specifies a clinic (e.g. DVT). Booking into the wrong clinic gives the wrong test.

Forgetting transport / interpreters

A patient who cannot get to the department or understand instructions will miss their appointment.

This simulator uses fictional data only and is not connected to any live NHS system.